Jack's Melody
by SomethingxLikexEuphoria
Summary: Jack Sparrow finds trouble when an unexpected meeting brings back old memories and the broken heart of a girl left in the altar of a Bristol church. Who is the captain of The Merry Melody and why is Jack so intent on finding out and then getting away?
1. Tortuga

**Disclaimer: Sha…I own nothing of Pirates of the Caribbean. I wish I did. But I don't. I do own the OC and _The Merry Melody_ though, so nyah! Thank you for reading!

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**Jack's Melody**

_Chap. 1: Tortuga_

White lightning soared down, crashing against the peak of a black, angry wave. Large sprays of water shot into the air, soaking the captain of _The Merry Melody. _The captain smiled and spun the helm with vigor. The first mate came running, his eyes screaming his frenzy.

"Captain, we have to drop canvas! These winds are too much!"

Another crash of thunder broke the skies, and lightning formed a tree of white light in the raging sea.

"Drop canvas? Nay, sir! With this gale we'll be in Tortuga so much faster," the captain let out a laugh and spun the helm again, smiling wildly, "And if said canvases are ruined, we'll just…buy some more!"

"How do we afford that?" The first mate yelled, attempting to be heard over the storm.

"We sell the first mate, of course!" Laughter erupted from the captain as the first mate stumbled out of shock…and from the horridly rocking ship. "To Tortuga!"

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Tortuga at night was bustling, loud, drunken, and full of loose chickens.

Jack Sparrow made his way down a dirty alley, swaying and flailing his hands about, while singing to himself.

"Yo Ho, Yo Ho, a pirate's life for me…"

"Jack! 'Ello, Jack!" A half-drunken prostitute, normal in the streets of Tortuga, swaggered out in front of the captain. "Jack it's been too long, 'eart!" She leaned against him, stumbling slightly.

"Oh…Hum…" Jack looked up, and then about, pausing. He couldn't remember her name for the life of him.

"You 'aven't forgotten my name, now 'ave you, Jack?" She shook the bottle in her hand and smiled at him, her painted face melting with the humidity of the evening.

"Captain Jack Sparrow never forgets a name, love."

Just as the forgetful pirate was ready to recite names a man came swooping out of a door in the alley way, wrapped his arms around the woman, and danced her away. Jack let out a sigh of relief, happy to avoid a good slapping and went about his way to the tavern. The tavern was crowded and loud, and as usual there was a fight going on. Likely over spilled ale or rum or possibly a lady of the evening. Jack stepped over the arms of a flailing drunk and headed straight for the bar.

"Tender!" Jack flipped back the tail of his weathered coat and sat down on a stool. The tender avoided being drenched in a thrown mug of rum and went over to his customer.

"Ah, Jack. It's been a while since I've seen you here." The tender came back to him with a bottle of rum, and the captain took hold of it before he could set it down. "I guessed you'd be back sooner than this, what's happened?"

Jack took a long swig and sighed. "Not much that I can speak of, Barnaby. I'm out of my personal stash as it were, and I'll be takin' five more o' these bottles, if ye don't mind."

Barnaby nodded and set the bottles in front of Jack. "You're running me dry, Jack, you are." He paused and stared at the pirate for a moment. "You will be paying me this time…right?"

"Of course, Barnaby," Jack laughed and set down the now empty bottle. "I wouldn't think of leaving without paying you!"

The tender turned away as a mug came careening past him and smashed into the back wall. He picked up the mug and turned back to the bar. "…Aye, Jack. But that's what you said last time before skipping out on your bill. I mean it this time, Jack, you have to..." He looked up to see that he was speaking to no one. "Damn it, Jack!"

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The docks were a in a rage this evening, everyone was running about in a frenzy over something going on at the end of port. A most interesting ship was docked there and everyone was gathered around it, crowding a stand set up on the walkway.

"Aye, come on! If ye like what ye see, buy it! Special prices for this day only!" The man's voice carried far and gathered passers-by like fruit gathers flies. The man smiled at the crowd he was dragging in and held up an ancient gold and green medallion.

"Look here," he said while shaking the ornament, "It was found at the bottom o' the ocean! Believed to be a piece of the lost city of Atlantis!" A few people started scoffing at this and he held it up again. "Not to mention that it's a lovely piece! Sure to woo the heart of any lady!" At this bids started in and the selling began.

_The Merry Melody_ was a well known merchant ship…of sorts. A galleon crewed by pirates, and under the law of the dread captain so ironically named Jolly Rodger. They were merchants that dealt in rare and often plundered items. _The Melody_ traveled everywhere that one could go in a ship. She was weathered and well-traveled, but lovely and her character was endless. She was captained by a cartographer and she collected many things on her travels.

"I see ye have yer eye on a special piece, lass!" The sailor bent down near a woman eyeing a fine collection of silks. "Fine silks of the orient and in perfect condition. Hand-made and compared to other fabrics this is a very fine price, miss."

"Specially crafted swords, inlaid in gold if you'll look at the blade, from Spain." He said to another person, who was eyeing a masterfully crafted set of weaponry.

The day carried on much like that until the goods were gone and the salesman had put all of the profits in a pouch. He gathered up what was left and headed up the ramp to the ship. He stopped next to another of his mates and shook the coin pouch.

"We made a hell of a profit today! Listen to that will ye?" He laughed and looked at the sights of Tortuga. "It's no problem sellin' such here. But I have a feeling Port Royale won't be so easy. That naval fort being thar and all…"

The sailor nodded and pointed towards the cabin of the ship. "Yarr…the captain's downstairs in the galley if ye be in need." He nodded towards the pouch. "Jolly Rodger'll be happy to hear o' the profits, aye. Ye did a good job, Henry."

Henry smiled and let the sailor get back to his work. He then headed off into the galley. The galley was of average size and smelled of potatoes and cooking. He looked around but saw no one except for a pile of peeled potatoes. He traveled down the wooden halls, while the scent of seawater drifted in and mixed with the potatoes for a curious aroma. He stopped and knocked on the door to his right, the captain's quarters.

"Aye?" A voice answered from inside the room. "Come in."

Henry opened the door and stepped into the room. The captain sat at an old wooden desk, working with parchment, a quill, and a compass. Notes were strewn across the desk and a melting candle was reaching the point of no return.

"Captain, I brought the profits." Henry sat the pouch down on the desk and stepped back. "We made more than usual here. I always thought Singapore was our best place for selling loot, but Tortuga was worth the storm." The first mate of _The Merry Melody_ let out a laugh.

"Didn't have to sell you after all did we, Henry?" The captain smirked, never rising from the map. "Go buy the crew a round of drinks. Wait, make that three rounds of drinks…"

The captain took some coins out of the bag and dropped them into the first mate's palm, along with a ring.

"Eh? What's this?" Henry looked closely at the ring. It was a simple golden band, and a bird was engraved on the inside. "I've never seen it."

"I know." The captain looked up from the map. "Find someone who deals in the trade of jewelry or the sort and sell it."

"Aye, aye," Henry nodded, raising an eyebrow. "Aren't you coming, captain?"

"Nay, sir," The captain went back to work on the map. "I've got a map to make…I have no business in the nights of Tortuga."

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**Hope you enjoyed it. I would really love it if I got plenty of reviews, I'll settle for two or three! Please, tell me what you liked or didn't like, and how it can be made better. I owe thanks to my Jake for being a grammar Nazi, he edits out all of my horrid spelling and grammar mistakes. I'll post the next chapter a.s.a.p. But I need reviews first! **


	2. Chapter 2: A Fearful Prospect

_16 years ago… Bristol, England…The church of St. James…_

"Thisis much too depressing for a wedding._" thought the girl in gown. She stared out at the pouring rain, sure that her love had been taking so long because of it. He must have paused underneath the door of a building waiting for the rain to stop, so as to not ruin his clothing. She twirled the golden ring he gave her around on her finger. A lovely ring, signifying their commitment, simple and golden, with a bird engraved on the inside; a sparrow, her favorite bird._

_"Gwendolyn?" a somber voice broke her thoughts, she turned._

_"Is he here, yet? I'm sure it's the rain…That is what's keeping him." She turned once more to stare out of the entrance of the old stone church. "Just a while longer, until the rain let's up."_

_"Gwendolyn, come away from the door, you'll catch cold if you stay there too long." Her father took her arm gently and led her from the entryway. She glanced over her shoulder before taking a seat with her father._

_"He'll be here, I'm sure of it, Father." She looked down at the ring again, "He promised."_

_"Sir, Mr. Roger, Sir! I've …news, Sir." A rain drenched boy had come running into the altar of the church, shaking the water off of his hat and bowing. "It's about Jack."_

_Gwendolyn's eyes flared to life, she jumped up from her seat and grabbed the boy, kneeling in front of him, "What about Jack?" her grip on the boy's shoulders tightened, "What about him?"_

"_He was seen down by the docks, the south dock, Miss, near your father's navigating ship, Miss. The dock master sent me to tell you…" He flinched and pulled away the instant the girl let go of him. _

_Gwendolyn turned to her father, he was silent, stunned. She spun quickly and took off down the steps of the church, into the heavy rain, her father following behind. She ran faster than she ever believed she could, stumbling slightly over her dress, it was starting to weigh heavily in the rain. How could this happen? What had she done wrong? _

_The great inland docks were not far ahead now, she could see their outline clearly, and ships rising against the horizon. She nearly crashed into the dock master as she came running onto the walkway, her father's ship was at the very end of the docks, and she couldn't see it._

"_Gwendolyn! Please stop!" Her father was running hard behind her, trying to catch his breath._

_Gwendolyn ignored him, and let out a gasp as she reached the docking place. It was as though she had forgotten to breathe at all while she was running, and the scene before her knocked what little air was left out of her. No ship, just empty gray water lapping against the dock supports, broken by rain drops. She dropped her hands to her sides, letting her soaked skirts fall back into place. Distantly, heading for sea, she could see her Father's ship. Compared to her heart break, her loss of air was nothing. The girl's stature sagged with sadness, a truly depressing scene. Her once wispy veil was now wet and stuck to her shoulders, her hair was dripping, and her dress was ruined in the rain and mud she had run through. She stood with her hands folded in front of her, twisting the golden band on her finger, twisting the broken promise in her heart. Through the rain no one could tell that she was silently crying. _

::Present::

"Yarr, To the Captain!" shouted Henry as he raised his mug to the crew. The mass of pirates threw back their drinks with a salute to their captain. The crew of _The Merry Melody_ sat around tables laughing, and taking part in much merriment, compliments of the captain so generously supplying the money for drinks.

"Oy, Henry…" The newest addition to the crew slammed down his mug, sloshing rum across the table. "Why isn't the captain here anyway?"

"The captain is of the quiet sort, you know that." Henry sent out the order for another round of rum, and looked at his own empty mug.

"Captain Roger…the quiet sort?" The young sailor laughed loudly, drunkenly. "The last time we went out like this, we were a drunken mess, dancing on tables and what not; the captain was dancing right along with us!"

"…Ye haven't been with us before; we just picked you up on the rim of Singapore, bilge rat." Henry stared at him from across the table, "Who'd be tellin' ye such things about the captain?"

"The cook told me." He averted himself from Henry's stern gaze, speaking of the captain was serious to him. "I wasn't meaning to offend."

"I know," Henry started snorting with laughter, "It was one hell of a night it was. Come now, this is the third and final round o' drinks! Drink up, me 'earties…Yo Ho!"

When the merriment was over, and a few extra shillings had been tossed into the drinking, Henry headed out onto the streets of Tortuga. He was to find someone in the trade of jewelries like the captain had said. Henry was sure he was supposed to have done this before he had gotten drunk, but that was it. He was drunk, so it didn't quite matter. He took a closer look at the ring, twirling it around on the tip of his finger. It had been kept in good condition wherever the captain had gotten it. The gold still shone with perfect luster, and the bird engraved on the inside was as prominent now as it must have been when it was first engraved. It looked like it had never been worn at all, or at least not for a long amount of time.

Henry was too busy staring at the engraved bird to notice the man walking straight towards him, equally as drunk, or at least it seemed that way. They crashed into each other, hard enough to knock Henry back and the other man to the ground. Henry shook his head, dazed.

"Ah, are ye alright?" He helped the man up and handed him his hat, it had flown off in the collision. "I'm sorry. I wasn't lookin' to see where I was headin' and all…"

"No damage done." Jack brushed himself off and stumbled back slightly, "If I may ask…where you were heading so quickly?"

"You were the one running…" Henry gave him a quizzical look.

"Aye sir, but you were the one paying no attention, so who is worse off? The man who was running but paying attention to where he was going, doing no harm, or the man who was walking but paying no attention what so ever, knocking the man who was running down?"

Henry shook his head, "I'm not sure what you just said…but either way I'm sorry. I'm looking for someone who deals in jewelries or the like…I've got something to sell."

Henry held up his hand to look at the ring, and his eyes widened, there was no ring upon his finger or in his hand. He held up both of his hands, flipping them back and forth.

"The ring! I've lost the ring! Captain Roger is going to have my head!" Henry looked around desperately, dropping to the ground.

"Well…that is a problem isn't it?" Jack said with a sigh. "My apologies, sir, I'll be off now."

Jack Sparrow gave a short flutter of his hand and walked quickly away in the other direction, leaving the flustered Henry to search for the lost ring.

Jack Sparrow's eyes widened as he looked closely at the little golden property he had pocketed. It shone with luster, reflecting dancing flickers of golden torchlight from a nearby building..

"Where did he get this?", he said with a hint of worry.

Pocketing the ring again he turned on his heel and slipped down the alley way to _The Sinking Sally_ to speak to Owein, he would know exactly who had docked at Tortuga, and perhaps confirm Captain Jack Sparrows rising fear.


End file.
